Project

Peer Counseling Training Curriculum

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 3.1 million adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 in the United States reported having at least one major depressive episode in 2016. With an increasing number of students reporting that they are depressed and stressed, the need for additional supports for these students to more important now than ever before. The best place to provide students with the necessary support is at school, where they spend on average 180 days a year. While there are already supports in place for students like counselors and psychologists, some students need a more informal option. The implementation of a peer counseling program on a high school campus can have significant impacts on the student body. This projects provides curriculum for the selecting and training of peer counselors as an additional support to adolescents in high school. The curriculum was created by reviewing relevant literature, collaborating with staff at different school sites running a similar program, and collaborating with administration, counselors, and other staff at my school site, as well as collaborating with peer counselors. Included in the curriculum is a peer counseling application, interview questions, two four-hour training sessions, student follow up, as well as recommendations for implementation, modifications, and a reflection of lessons learned.

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